I think I can tell a difference in whether drivers see me when I wear screaming yellow. I can't prove it, and I can't act on it (I still assume I'm invisible).
But I do think I see a difference.
Printable View
I think I can tell a difference in whether drivers see me when I wear screaming yellow. I can't prove it, and I can't act on it (I still assume I'm invisible).
But I do think I see a difference.
I tend to agree with you. As a driver, I am MUCH more aware of riders in screaming yellow than any other color. I just wish they made more jerseys in bright yellow. I have a light jacket and a vest, but no jersey or tank.
I live in a small town. I ride in combination of highways, rural dirt roads, town traffic. A big mix.
I almost always wear a generous amount of screaming yellow on my bike.
Several times now I have been in a coffee shop or bakery before or after my ride and some stranger will come up to me and say "I passed you on the road while i was driving, and I just wanted you to know how great it was that I could see you so clearly with that bright color from a whole half mile behind you- I wish all bike riders would wear that color!". this has happened about 4 times over the past 3 years. I know that screaming yellow works. I see it for myself when i'm driving my car too. :)
Reflective tape, blinkies and reflectors all can help and are really needed at night, but nothing beats screaming yellow shirt/vest/etc during the daytime.
+1 -- I notice this so much when I am driving, or even when cycling and seeing other cyclists up ahead or coming in the other direction. I only have one screaming yellow jersey, as seen in my avatar (plus a jacket), but try to wear it especially on gloomy, overcast days or when riding closer to dusk.
I went to the Pearl Izumi outlet store last year and got 2 hi-viz jerseys marked down 75% each, and a hi-viz windbreaker- total $50 for all! I often wear the jerseys on late afternoon rides or when I commute.
I had a motorist pull up next to me and slow down a couple of weeks ago. I thought he was going to harass me, but instead he complimented me on my visibility! :D
The helmet's screaming yellow, my bike's screaming yellow :D the vest and now I'm thinking about these:
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDF_ANY.html
Yes, not a scientific study but I sense and sometimes see drivers take that second glance.
I can't remember where I read it, but high visibility chartreuse is supposed to be the most visible color. I see more and more highway workers wearing that color. High viz yellow is right up there, as is blaze orange.
I used to ride motorcycles and I had a blaze orange helmet. There was a substantial difference in how cars kept their distance from me when I wore that helmet. I've wondered why bike helmets don't come in high visibility colors.
I'm a big fan of these
http://alertshirt.com/
especially their performance T's in ANSI colors.
Thank you thank you thank you! I've seen cyclists wearing these:
http://alertshirt.com/trafficgloves.html
and have not been able to find them.
I bought this windbreaker http://bontrager.com/model/07260 at a LBS, and am blinded by its brightness and feel much safer with the cars zipping by. Also, as a somewhat unexpected bonus, it turns out to be an excellent wind jacket.
I have several screamin' yellow Brooks Nightlife tops and jackets---very high-viz! For summer, I have sleeveless and short-sleeved neon yellow jerseys by Terry.
This is the short-sleeved version: http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodTY_630024_0.html.
I saw a jersey somewhere recently that combined high-viz yellow with a neon pink. Great combo! Wish I could remember where I spotted it.
My windbreaker is bright yellow, pretty bright, at that, but not typical hi-viz color. My winter riding jacket is bright red. I have the typical yellow-green hi viz vest, that I've been wearing a lot during this freezing spring weather.
I have a Nathan reflective vest I wear when I am riding in the dark or dawn. That, with a rear blinkie and 2 reflective bands which blink, on my ankles is quite illuminating. One time DH was coming home in the car when i came home from an early AM ride and he said he could see me half a mile away.
My regular jerseys are all kinds of wild prints. I do admit to having a black jersey, with print, but I usually wear it at this time of year, with the vest, as it's too hot to wear black in mid summer. Maybe not this year, though.
Ok, I just LOVE LOVE LOVE my new Brooks NightLife SCREAMING green lightweight top, and also the black version with touches of screaming yellow for those 'slightly less screaming' occasions! The material is so silky and light and cool, no back/shoulder sunburn, and the sleeves can push up nicely without being bulky. The screaming green is way brighter than the picture- shocking! :D :D